


I Knew All Along It Was You

by pherryt



Series: SPN GENRE BINGO [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Low Self Esteem, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, blind!cas, self worth issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 10:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15794694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt
Summary: Almost nothing isactuallyknown about the new phenomenon of Soul Marks, but one thing is certain - no one's ever gotten one past the age of 30. Dean's 29 and in love with his best friend when his finally appears.His only hope is that Cas has the matching one.He has to, right?





	I Knew All Along It Was You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DeadlyKittenKay (PrettyBlueIz)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyBlueIz/gifts).



> This is for the Soulmate AU square on my Bingo Card - it was randomly picked by Deadlykittenkay with the request for it to be Destiel. It was one of the first picked and among the last written.
> 
> there's a reason for that, and since art claims are over, i guess i can mention it now! It's actually a little funny. But my DCBB is a fantasy style Soulmate AU. So here I am, writing another Destiel soulmate story and i need to make sure it's different. At the same time, Hidden by the Trenchcoat's quarterly writing challenge was a destiel fantasy AU and i'm going "ARGH! GUYS! I already WROTE THIS!" LMAO

Dean watched the ink curl and swirl over his wrist in fascination, the graceful black lines finally forming a feather that shifted about continuously, like it was blowing about in the wind.

The soulmate mark was a new phenomenon and no one knew how it worked or what even triggered it, but somewhere between puberty and age 30, the marks would randomly appear on a person’s wrist.

Dean was 29 and a hopeless romantic who’d started to doubt that he had someone out there.

It had colored a lot of his relationships over the last decade, in fact. Some theorized that a mark could be  _made_ to appear if you’d already fallen in love with someone compatible. Which meant that it could happen more than once. He’d seen the proof of it himself. Widowers who married again, like his father had, leaving him two soulmate marks on his wrist.

Heck, Poly couples – couples? Dean was never certain of the terminology for that sort of relationship – had more, of course. In an already established relationship, with marks and all, it was not uncommon for a second soulmate mark to appear on only one of the folks involved. It usually happened after the couples had been together awhile and they had recently brought in a third (or a fourth or whatever). The new person would start out as only being soulmated with one half of the original couple, but more often than not, the marks would bloom again after they got to know each other, truly connecting all three.

It was likely that there were many compatible ‘mates’ out there, but that the soulmate marks only pointed out those currently compatible and within reach. And that was something else. The potential soulmates were _always_ nearby. It did bear thinking about, in more ways than one.

The conclusion had become, by consensus, that there wasn’t just one and only one person who could ever be with you and that the marks – however they worked? Had it been some scientific experiment that had gone wrong or maybe right? – would make sure you weren’t trapped by having your soulmate be halfway across the globe where the twain would never meet.

So people dated and tried to ‘force’ the marks to appear, but usually, after a year or two max, most couples gave up and went their separate ways to try again.

Dean had had that happen more than once. He’d felt so  _sure_  about Lisa, then Benny, but…

At least they had parted on good terms, even if each passing year had made Dean just a little less hopeful.

He stared at his new mark some more while he sat in the impala. The lines were still moving restlessly, though more slowly now – they wouldn’t stop completely until he and his soulmate touched. He’d sent a text off nearly as soon as it had happened before driving straight over to the Roadhouse.

Nervous, he stood and left the car.

Did he already know his soulmate? Or was he about to meet the person who would be a part of the rest of his life? He shook his head and shoved his hand into his pocket. He knew what he really hoped. Knew there was someone very special to him that Dean wanted more than anything to be the one with a matching mark

Not that they were even dating. Cas had refused every overture to that end, citing that ‘no one really wants to date a blind guy’.

Dean didn’t think that true, but being blind was still new to Cas. Dean could understand being bitter about it, or having trouble adjusting to it. But he really didn’t care that Cas was blind – not in the sense Cas meant.

He approached the Roadhouse door and swung it open, his eyes catching on his wrist once more. What if it  _wasn’t_ Cas? The thought sickened Dean. It would be proof that Cas was right, wouldn’t it? That Dean’s affection was too fickle, too flimsy to base a relationship on.

With relief, he noted their usual table was open and he bee lined for it. He ordered two beers to distract himself while waiting for Cas to arrive but found his eyes dragged back down. The whirl of maybes and what if’s held sway and made his stomach twist nervously and only the familiar _tap tap tap_ of a cane drew him away from his thoughts.

Looking up, he saw Cas approaching their booth, his cane carefully sweeping the area in front of him. Dean never quite figured out how it all worked, but Cas seemed to be getting the hang of it and the plus side was that people saw the cane and they instinctively moved out of his way without even realizing it _._

Dean let out a nervous smile, despite that Cas couldn’t see it, as Cas made his way carefully to ‘their’ booth. Thankfully, it was lunchtime and the Roadhouse normally only drew a large crowd at night, so the place wasn’t too busy for Cas to navigate without assistance.

Pretty soon, Dean was sure Cas would be an old pro at this and not need his help anymore - a thought that made Dean inexplicably sad, though he should be happy for Cas that he got _any_ of his old life routines, freedom and confidence back. It was selfish of Dean to want Cas to rely on him and he knew it.

So he pushed the thought away.

“Cas! I’m so glad you made it! I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to get away,” Dean said cheerily.

“You said it was important,” Cas said, sitting down and sliding into the booth with ease. He pulled his cane in so no one would trip over it and folded it up. “You sound nervous. Is something wrong?”

“I don’t think so?” Dean tried to sound sure, but when Cas’s eyebrow rose above his sunglasses, Dean knew he hadn’t been too convincing.

“You ever think about meeting your soulmate?” Dean blurted.

“Not really, no. When I was younger and less… When I was younger, I did,” Cas admitted softly. “But I’ve since come to terms with it being too late for that now.”

“Cas,” Dean said softly. “That’s not true. I’m sure it isn’t.”

“That’s very kind of you, Dean.” Cas smiled sadly. “Now what is it that’s going on?” He paused and his face fell. “Oh… have you found your soulmate, Dean?”

“I don’t know yet. The mark is here but it only just showed up about half an hour ago. I wasn’t even around anyone at the time.” Dean ran a hand over the mark, though Cas couldn’t see it.

“You think it’s someone you already know?”

“I’m hoping it is,” Dean admitted. Before he could continue, Jo stopped by to drop off their beers with a welcome back to Cas who responded as politely as usual.

They each took a sip of their beers after she left, Dean both hoping and dreading the next few minutes.

“Cas… can I… can I see your wrist?” Dean asked. His voice wavered but he managed to get the words out so he counted that as a win.

Freezing, Cas said nothing and Dean began to sweat.

“Please?” Dean pleaded.

Slowly, Cas reached over the table, stretching his arm along the surface. Just as slowly, Dean reached shaking hands out to undo his cuff and fold back the sleeve. Taking a deep breath, he flipped Cas’s hand over, palm side up and stared.

It was the feather, shifting, moving and… solidifying, settling as color filled it in and Dean looked swiftly at his own wrist to see it was doing the same.

“Holy fuck,” he breathed out, then laughed, his hand squeezing Cas’s tight. “Holy fuck… we matched!”

“Dean…” Cas gasped disbelievingly. “Are you sure?”

“Dude, I’m more than sure. We have matching feathers and they both just stopped moving,” Dean replied, feeling giddy as hell.

“No, no, no, this can’t be happening,” Cas groaned, pulling his hand. When it refused to budge from Dean’s grip, he yanked and Dean let go in surprise, his eyes wide.

“What? What do you  _mean_ no?” Dean’s stomach plummeted.

“Dean, I already told you, I will not be a burden in your life,” Castiel said firmly.

“Maybe I want that burden!” Dean growled. “I want us to be each other’s burden, and each other’s support. I want us to be a team. There for the other when times are rough and when they’re good also.”

Cas’s mouth pulled into a displeased frown. “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe _you!_ I thought you were better than this, Dean.”

His voice was rough and Dean thought he saw something wet slide down his cheek but the lighting in the Roadhouse made it impossible to tell. Before he could lean in to check, Cas picked up his cane and fumbled his way out of the booth, snapping it open. He turned and collided with Jo.

“Hey are you guys ready to or – whoa, Cas, you oaky?” she steadied him, looking him over to make sure he was all right – but her eyes never went past the unbuttoned cuff on his wrist. They went wide and her face turned delighted, her grin dazzling as she shrieked. “OH MY GOD! You’ve found your soulmate! Congratulations! Do you know who it is? Is it someone we know?”

Cas froze. “What?”

Jo frowned at Dean. “You didn’t tell him?”

“I tried. He didn’t believe me.” Dean frowned at that. Was that really what Cas thought of him? But it couldn’t be, right? Not if they bore each other’s soulmarks. It didn’t make sense. There had to be something else at play here.

“Why not, Cas?” Jo had turned away from Dean, staring intently at Castiel.

Cas’s mouth firmed and he refused to answer. Suddenly angry, Dean leaned forward.

“Because he thinks I’m lying. That I orchestrated it somehow,” Dean bit out, raising his own arm for Jo to see.

She gasped. “But… but I don’t understand. Cas, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? You two have always been in love with each other.”

Cas shook his head and finally broke his stubborn silence. “No, it’s not. It’s wrong. It has to be. Dean deserves better… he deserves better than me,” Cas suddenly choked on his words, and this time Dean was _certain_ there were tears running down his face. “then to be saddled with… with my disability.”

“Oh, honey,” Jo said softly.

Stumbling slightly, Cas fell back into the booth, turned and dropped his head on his hands, curled up over the surface of the table, barely clearing the beer he’d left. He didn’t sob aloud but his shoulders shook. Jo shot Dean a look that said, ‘fix this’ loud and clear.

Dean didn’t need her to do that. He already wanted to fix this. The question was _how?_

Jo left, with another glare at Dean – like somehow this was his fault – and Dean wasted no time in sliding out of the booth as soon as she was out of the way. Cas sat on the very edge, so Dean just crouched on the floor beside him, tentatively touching his shoulder.

Despite calling his name to let Cas know he was right beside him, Cas still flinched at the sudden contact. Hoping it was merely because he was startled – and not because he’d rather Dean not touch him – Dean rubbed at his shoulder awkwardly, trying to soothe him.

“Cas, man, I love you. I’ve loved you for a while and I’d have started dating you years ago if you’d have let me. You made your wishes clear and I gave you space. I was content to be your friend if that was the only way you’d have me but I don’t understand what’s going on right now. I think our marks prove quite nicely that this isn’t a passing thing for me. Or for you. Cas, tell me the mark is wrong, that you don’t love me?”

“God help me, Dean, but I do. Jo’s right. I have for so long.” Cas choked out, voice rougher than normal.

“Then why fight this? I know the blindness hit suddenly and it took a lot from you. I’d give everything to give it all back … but being blind doesn’t make you less worthy of love. And besides, it’s not like I’m all that much of a prize, Cas. Let’s face it, if anyone here doesn’t deserve anyone, it’s me.”

Cas’s head whipped up with a frown. “Now Dean, that’s not true! You are the most generous, loyal and kind soul that I know.”

“I think you oversell me,” Dean blushed. “But see that? I happen to think the same of you, as well as brave and strong… there’s feeling here, real feeling between us. We have all the confirmation we need that it isn’t in our heads, so why are you so determined to doom us before we start? Why won’t you give us a chance?” Dean begged.

“Can you honestly say that if we do this, if we try it and things go bad, you’ll still be in my life afterwards?” Castiel reached for Dean and Dean took his hand in both of his. Castiel turned in his seat to more fully face Dean, his face so open and scared that it hurt to look at. “Can you promise that you won’t leave me because you’ve come to resent me and my limitations?”

“I never would!” Dean blinked at Cas’s question. Hadn’t he proved that he wouldn’t? Hadn’t he been there every step of the way during Cas’s illness and subsequent blindness?

“My family already does,” Cas said tiredly.

“No offense, Cas, but your family is a big bag of dicks,” Dean pointed out sharply.

“True,” Cas conceded, his lips twitching upwards into a smile and Dean relaxed a little to see it.

Dean looked down to see that he’d been absently rubbing his hands along Cas’s. He flicked a look back up at his best friend, at his  _soulmate_ , and noted that he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, that was his thinking face on, if Dean were not mistaken.

“I can’t lose you, Dean,” Cas said softly. “You’re my lifeline. You say I’m brave and I’m strong but it’s all because of you. I’m scared, _god_ , pretty much every minute of every day. Ever since I got the diagnosis.”

“You won’t,” Dean assured him gently. “This will be work on both our parts, I’m sure. We’ll both have our good days and our bad days, but they’ll be  _our_ days, together. And we’ll work through them,  _together_. I promise.”

Dean waited, holding his breath, afraid to disrupt anything. Cas was hesitating, biting his lip, but there was a dawning hope on his face. It started to smile, going far past that little, shy quirk Dean was well familiar with and going into a devious grin, his nose scrunching up.

“If we’re gonna do this, if we’re  _really_ doing this…” Cas’s other hand left the table and reached towards Dean. He found Dean’s shoulder and quickly slid his hand up to cup Dean’s jaw and Dean couldn’t help leaning into Cas’s hand with a sigh, his eyes slipping shut for at least an instant before he snapped them open again to stare at Cas.

“Yeah, Cas?” Dean asked breathlessly.

“I’m not sure, Dean. I think I may need a little more convincing,” Cas said, his thumb sliding along Dean’s cheek and sending little shivers through his body. It was quite distracting but pleasant. “I think a kiss will do it. Maybe two.”

“Oh? Ooooh!” Dean blinked and grinned back.  He leaned in just close enough to brush their lips together. “I think I can do tha –“

Cas cut him off with a firm press of his lips and Dean groaned, sliding his hands up around Cas’s shoulders. This time, when his eyes slipped shut, he didn’t fight it.

When Cas finally pulled away, he cradled Dean’s face in his hands touched their foreheads together. “You _are_ worthy, Dean.”

“Well, so are you, Cas. Whattya say we spend the rest of lives convincing each other of that?” Dean asked hopefully. Things were looking up. Had to be, right? With that kiss, could there be any other answer? Yet Dean needed to hear it, needed to hear that Cas was all in with him on this.

“I rather like that idea,” Cas said softly and Dean nearly slumped in relief.

“Oh thank god,” he croaked. He pulled Cas into a hug despite the protest of his legs as he still crouched beside their booth. Cas’s arms slid around to pull Dean in tightly.

Cas had become much more touch reliant since his blindness and Dean had, perhaps selfishly, indulged in it, always grateful for any touch he got, any hint of a closeness he feared he’d never get.

And always, he felt guilty for it, waited for Cas to call him out on it, dreaded losing those casual touches.

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Cas said, rubbing his hands over Dean’s back. Dean melted into the touch, no longer guilty for enjoying it, for loving Cas so much it had made his heart hurt. “I’m so sorry for putting us through this.”

“It’s okay. I mean it sucked, but I get it. I understand wanting something so much and feeling like you don’t deserve it,” Dean said softly into Cas’s neck. “I’m just glad we’re finally able to meet in the middle. This is gonna work, Cas. We’re both too stubborn for it not to.”

“Than it’s a good thing we’ve already got the universes’ blessing,” Castiel laughed. He hooked his fingers into the belt loops of Dean’s jeans and tugged. “C’mon. You must be killing yourself like that. Get in the booth with me… on the right side this time.”

“Heh, do ya think we’re gonna be one of those sickeningly adorable couples?” Dean said with a laugh as he stood. If he was honest with himself, he was secretly hoping they would be. He wanted to shout to the world that him and Cas were finally together in any way possible.

Cas slid over to make room and Dean slid in beside him, their hips touching and their feet tangling under the table. It made him feel absolutely giddy as he took Cas’s hand in his once more, staring down at the feather on Cas’s left wrist.

Swaying into him, Cas bumped their shoulders together lightly, bringing Dean’s eyes up once more to see him grinning that gummy smile that always took Dean’s breath away.

Cas said, “I sure as hell hope so.”

Dean couldn’t argue with a declaration like that. So he didn’t and concentrated instead on kissing Cas as sweetly as possible, Cas eagerly following suit.

He could get used to this easily.

**Author's Note:**

> [ Rebloggable TUmblr Link](https://pherryt.tumblr.com/post/177384038781/i-knew-all-along-it-was-you-supernatural-destiel)


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